Trump Blames ‘Stupid Lawsuit’ for Exposing Plans for Underground Military Bunker Beneath New White House Ballroom

President Trump has officially confirmed the construction of a “massive complex” being built by the United States military beneath the new White House ballroom, blaming a “stupid lawsuit” for exposing the top-secret project. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Mr. Trump revealed that the underground facility was never meant to be publicized, but legal challenges brought the classified blueprints into the public eye.“The military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed,” Mr. Trump told the press while unveiling new architectural renderings of the 90,000-square-foot event space. “But the military is building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that’s under construction. And we’re doing very well. So we’re ahead of schedule.”Construction on the bunker — originally under the now-torn-down East Wing and known officially as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center — began during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, after the Army insisted on building one following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The project was later completed under Harry Truman.The bunker has been used several times this century. In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney was hustled into the bunker when officials thought one of the planes hijacked by Al Qaeda might be heading toward the White House. After September 11, the bunker was reinforced to withstand the force of a passenger jet crashing into the executive residence.In 2020, after the death of a black man in police custody in Minnesota, Secret Service agents rushed Mr. Trump to the bunker as throngs of protesters, some hurling rocks and ripping down police barricades, gathered outside the White House. Mr. Trump spent about an hour in the bunker.The legal battle now in question was initiated in December by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The organization filed an injunction seeking to halt construction until thorough environmental reviews and congressional approvals were finalized. According to the president, this litigation forced the administration to acknowledge the dual-purpose nature of the $400 million project, which replaces the White House’s former East Wing.“Now it’s no secret the military wanted it more than anybody,” Mr. Trump said during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the week. “It was supposed to be secret, but it became un-secret because of people that are really unpatriotic saying things. But it doesn’t matter; it doesn’t matter. It’s going to be great.”Mr. Trump further elaborated in a January Truth Social post that the project “is being done with the design, consent, and approval of the highest levels of the United States Military and Secret Service. The mere bringing of this ridiculous lawsuit has already, unfortunately, exposed this heretofore top-secret fact.”While the above-ground ballroom will serve as a venue for state dinners and inaugurations, Mr. Trump noted that it serves a secondary, heavily fortified purpose. “And the ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built under the military,” he said, noting it shields occupants “from drones and including from any other thing.”To ensure maximum security, the above-ground structure is heavily fortified. “We have all bulletproof glass; we have drone-proof roofs, ceilings…and, unfortunately, we’re living in an age where that’s a good thing,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “The glass, or the windows — you see the big windows — the glass is extremely thick. It’s high-grade bulletproof glass, so all of the windows are bulletproof.”Despite the staggering $400 million price tag — up from an initial $200 million estimate — Mr. Trump insisted that “it’s all donors” covering the expenses and that “not one dime of government money” is being used. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this, posting that the administration is “ensuring the People’s House finally has a beautiful ballroom that’s been needed for decades — at no expense to the taxpayer.”The president argued that an upgraded event space has been desired “for 150 years,” allowing the administration to ditch temporary outdoor setups. “I get sued over a ballroom that’s the most beautiful ballroom in the country. You won’t have tents sitting on the wet White House lawn — if it rains, you get wiped out — to honor the president of China or the president of France,” he said.As the new project continues, a federal judge is expected to rule on the preservation society’s lawsuit by the end of March, which could potentially halt the ongoing construction of the president’s ambitious new venue.“I thought I’d do this now because it’s easier,” Mr. Trump concluded while showing the designs aboard Air Force One. “I’m so busy that I don’t have time to do this. I’m fighting wars and other things, but this is very important because this is going to be with us for a long time, and it’s going to be… I think it’ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.”

Trump Blames ‘Stupid Lawsuit’ for Exposing Plans for Underground Military Bunker Beneath New White House Ballroom

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